USA Rugby in Alaska

The USA Rugby coach development department held its first ever Coach Certification Level 1 workshop in Anchorage, Alaska from June 11-12. Fourteen coaches participated in the workshop and completed certification. It was a big step for Alaska rugby to have USA Rugby come in and help train coaches, the idea is that this past weekend will lead to better coaches, better players, and growth in rugby across the state.

The local host Marisa Gleico who coaches the Alaska Women Artic Foxes did a wonderful job hosting the event and helped make great strides in strengthening and growing rugby in Alaska.

Coaches from all reaches of the state came in for the conference that was held at the Providence Hospital Conference Center in Anchorage. There are plans in the works to bring up most-capped Eagle, Luke Gross, to run a line-out, ruck, and player clinics in the next year and eventually bring a Level 2 course to Anchorage in 2012.

USA Rugby, in partnership with Alaska Rugby Union, also helped to develop youth and high school rugby in the area. President Ted Snider led the effort and all of Alaska rugby pitched in. Over one hundred rugby players, coaches, and parents attended a Rookie Rugby Coaching training during their Midnight Sun Sevens Tournament.

Through the week USA Rugby Youth and High School Director, Kurt Weaver, met with the CEO of the Alaska Boys and Girls Club, the program director of Alaska Boy Scouts, the Program Director for Campfire USA, Mao Tosi with Alaska Pride after school programs, the Education Department chair at Alaska Pacific University, and the Curriculum Coordinator for the Anchorage City Schools.

The Rookie Rugby curriculum was introduced at each of these meetings and it built motivation to roll out the program in the coming months.

The highlight from the weekend was the interest from the schools and all the teachers to roll out rookie rugby into the schools. The rugby community is a tight knit group who are motivated and excited to get the youth of Alaska playing rugby!